I have seen a tendency among researchers and research groups to create their own external websites. The department strongly objects to this. It is not a good idea for a couple of reasons.
First, it confuses the visitors. If the same things have many different websites, which is the “true” one, which one is up-to-date and which is the most current one.
Second, how do the visitors know that it is not a scam? I have seen .com (since when did the University become commercial?), .org or .se sites. Sometimes the private websites use the Lund University logos, sometimes they write Lund University somewhere in the text. Who is behind the site? Lund University, a private person or someone trying to look like Lund University? Not at all easy to know. If it really is Lund University, the sites must follow the graphic profile.
If you are unable to have things inside Lund University’s web publishing system Drupal, due to technical reasons, put them in iframes. There may be problems to put some databases or other systems in iframes. If this is the case and you really see no option than to have things on an external website, use the html and css templates in Bildbanken. By doing so, you get the correct graphic look.
Third, if you take of your time to produce a website of your own, you will most likely not put as much effort in updating and taking care of your information at the department’s website. Visitors will not find what they search for and will leave disappointed. Lund University’s websites will be more and more shattered and in the long run it will be more and more difficult to find information.
Of course, you are allowed to blog, twitter and such. But make sure that you do this either as a private person or an official person/research group and state that clearly. If it is an official social media channel, follow the Lund University’s guide for social media at the Staff Pages.
Keep in mind that Lund University is an authority and as such we have a responsibility for the information on our web. The information must be up to date and correct.
So please, give a little bit of love to your LU web pages!
Inger Ekström on behalf of Christer Löfstedt
